Five days after Rabbi Shlomo Helbrantz, the leader of the Lev Tahor sect who drowned in a river in Mexico, was brought to be buried in Guatemala, his son Rabbi Natan Helbrantz gives his first interview to Haredim 10, and tells how he received the news of his father's passing, his feelings, the harsh leadership of the Lev Tahor community, and what the main message he takes from his father is. Rabbi Natan is sitting on Shabbat at the home of his friend, Governor Israel Frankfurter, son-in-law of Governor Yishai Rosenberg. • Sitting on Shabbat is not that simple, especially for someone who hasn't been in touch in recent years. How does it feel? The pain is very, very great on all sides, there's no way to define the pain. Deep pain, hard to describe in words. • Even though you haven't actually been in touch in recent years? I haven't been able to be together with my father, especially in recent years... • How do you hear the news of his passing? I didn't know about it until the end of Shabbat. My friend Frankfurter Shechia, who supports me from all sides, may God bless him, knew that I would receive it in a difficult way - so he called people from Hatzla to tell me slowly, and with all of that it was terribly difficult. Terribly, terribly difficult. Even though they told you this gradually. • What did they actually tell you? People, I bless God I never looked at the devices, people tried to show me, but I heard conversations... He called a few times and was in touch on the eve of Shabbat Kodesh, I heard that people were exchanging words. But the whole thing is difficult for me... They informed me that the body apparently had not changed. Rabbi Frankfurter, who is here with me, also spoke on Sheva. No one will bring it, only what they know.
• There are people who claim that there may not have been a drowning incident, and some even claim that it was staged, so that they might be able to escape the country they are in and move to another place. Have you heard such claims? I don't know, I don't know. People who came to console, no one spoke about it. Hundreds of people came here, no one spoke about this issue. Many called, friends and acquaintances, no one came with this claim, and it's hard for me to talk about it and get into these issues. I just said what I think, I don't take any responsibility. In any case, in the resurrection of the dead, we will all be together, I can't investigate things in depth. • I understood that Rabbi Yochanan Wasner was the one who ordered you to sit 'Shiva'. Yes, the dayanim got into the whole story, the whole thing, and he told us to sit 'Shiva'. • What was the instruction? How was it received? As a principle, Rabbi Wesner held that things were clear, as you can see that the wound was very deep, and I didn't go into it to investigate it, it's very difficult... But I also really wanted to have the privilege of at least paying my father his last respects, I was privileged to pay him his last respects. • I understood that you and the mother who passed away actually wanted to go to the funeral, to pay your last respects and for some reason it didn't work out, you weren't exactly allowed to get there. Who prevented that? That's not something I can say now. • We're talking about organizing, many requests to you from people who were in the community in the past and asking you to lead the community where you live in Canada. Can you tell us a little about these requests? It's a little too early to talk about this issue. We're only at Father's 'sheva'. • What do you take from Father as the main message? Father brought many distant people closer, since I was born, since I opened my eyes, I have always seen distant people being brought closer, dozens of people, it's hard to say how many, he converted and not necessarily from his followers, he converted many, many people. And his dedication... In previous years he was close to the great men of Israel, and we take that with us, the good things. It really hurts me that there were all kinds of elements in the community who say he was extremist and unacceptable to people. I tried... until it happened... I can't go into details with you.
The Gaon Rabbi Yochanan Wasner. Courtesy of the photographer
• There were difficult leaderships, especially in recent years, but even before that there were special leaderships, some of which you also take and apply today. Is there any special leadership? Father always raised us to fear God, to love Israel...and we always take.... • What was it like growing up in a home like that, with such difficult leaderships? It's hard to talk about it. You take the other things. • There's so much talk about leadership, and you say you take the good things from your father, there's talk about strange leaderships, that supposedly humiliate women, beat them. Do you know that? Was it really like that? It's hard to address specific things now, special things, maybe later we can talk about those things, but it's too early to talk about that. I'll just go into the general rule without going into details: There were many people who attributed things to your father, and you can't attribute the leaderships to your father specifically. • Of all the difficult time you had to be disconnected, the last conversation between you - can you tell me about it? We will get there with God's help, we thank God for the community and friends who are exceptionally supportive. Hundreds of people came to participate and comfort - and that is strengthening. People who came from afar, from the country, especially. Thank you to everyone. And especially to the honorable Frankfurter family.
• There are people who claim that there may not have been a drowning incident, and some even claim that it was staged, so that they might be able to escape the country they are in and move to another place. Have you heard such claims? I don't know, I don't know. People who came to console, no one spoke about it. Hundreds of people came here, no one spoke about this issue. Many called, friends and acquaintances, no one came with this claim, and it's hard for me to talk about it and get into these issues. I just said what I think, I don't take any responsibility. In any case, in the resurrection of the dead, we will all be together, I can't investigate things in depth. • I understood that Rabbi Yochanan Wasner was the one who ordered you to sit 'Shiva'. Yes, the dayanim got into the whole story, the whole thing, and he told us to sit 'Shiva'. • What was the instruction? How was it received? As a principle, Rabbi Wesner held that things were clear, as you can see that the wound was very deep, and I didn't go into it to investigate it, it's very difficult... But I also really wanted to have the privilege of at least paying my father his last respects, I was privileged to pay him his last respects. • I understood that you and the mother who passed away actually wanted to go to the funeral, to pay your last respects and for some reason it didn't work out, you weren't exactly allowed to get there. Who prevented that? That's not something I can say now. • We're talking about organizing, many requests to you from people who were in the community in the past and asking you to lead the community where you live in Canada. Can you tell us a little about these requests? It's a little too early to talk about this issue. We're only at Father's 'sheva'. • What do you take from Father as the main message? Father brought many distant people closer, since I was born, since I opened my eyes, I have always seen distant people being brought closer, dozens of people, it's hard to say how many, he converted and not necessarily from his followers, he converted many, many people. And his dedication... In previous years he was close to the great men of Israel, and we take that with us, the good things. It really hurts me that there were all kinds of elements in the community who say he was extremist and unacceptable to people. I tried... until it happened... I can't go into details with you.
The Gaon Rabbi Yochanan Wasner. Courtesy of the photographer
• There were difficult leaderships, especially in recent years, but even before that there were special leaderships, some of which you also take and apply today. Is there any special leadership? Father always raised us to fear God, to love Israel...and we always take.... • What was it like growing up in a home like that, with such difficult leaderships? It's hard to talk about it. You take the other things. • There's so much talk about leadership, and you say you take the good things from your father, there's talk about strange leaderships, that supposedly humiliate women, beat them. Do you know that? Was it really like that? It's hard to address specific things now, special things, maybe later we can talk about those things, but it's too early to talk about that. I'll just go into the general rule without going into details: There were many people who attributed things to your father, and you can't attribute the leaderships to your father specifically. • Of all the difficult time you had to be disconnected, the last conversation between you - can you tell me about it? We will get there with God's help, we thank God for the community and friends who are exceptionally supportive. Hundreds of people came to participate and comfort - and that is strengthening. People who came from afar, from the country, especially. Thank you to everyone. And especially to the honorable Frankfurter family.
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